another summer of love
Garden’s aren’t neutral, apolitical spaces. Along with the subtle autumn changes in foliage the neighborhood has been growing Obama and the occasional McCain yard signs, as well as signs for where the homeowners stand on the various state propositions.
My No On 8 Sign
Here’s a view from the front sidewalk of one of my signs. I couldn’t get a proper yard sign locally, but I found a small window sign in pdf format to print from the web. Yeah, it’s tiny. So small I put another one in my car window, about two feet away, eye-level, from the sidewalk. No missing that one.
The summer just concluded has been a remarkable one here in California. When the California Supreme Court ruled last spring that prohibitions against gay marriage were against the principles of the state constitution, it opened up the floodgates for a lot of us who’ve been in long-term relationships to finally be able to enter into the legal relationship that mirrored how we live our lives every day.
I wrote a while ago of John and my getting married, back in June. And so many of our friends have decided to tie the knot. Although John and I are usually homebodies our social calendar up to September had us attending more weddings than we’ve attended in a decade, let alone one summer. We attended weddings and receptions in people’s backyards, in some of our local parks and in parts of town with sweeping views of I wasn’t in the state in the summer of 1967, the original Summer of Love, but this was one all over again.
No On Proposition 8
There are political and social forces afoot here in the state and beyond that want to withdraw those newly-granted civil rights, however. Proposition 8 on California’s November ballot would place discriminatory language in the state constitution of the sort that’s been pushed into many other state constitutions over the last decade. In our difficult times, first post-9/11 and now in the middle of our current economic meltdown, it’s easy for people to turn on each other and pick on the easiest targets. But I think we can do better than that.
California is poised to be the first state in the country to reject that trend. The polls are still pointing to the proposition going down to defeat, and even our Republican Governor is opposed to it. But we’re in no position to take things for granted. The margin is slim, and getting smaller as the election nears. And who’s not to say that there won’t be a “Bradley-effect,” with voters trying to sound more open-minded or tolerant to a pollster even if it won’t reflect what they’ll actually do in the voting booth?
So, this November, be sure to vote: Vote for me and John, who’ve been together over 25 years, or John and Robert who’ve been together over 21, or for Liz and Ellen, or Mason and Carlos, or Paul and Alan or the dozens of people we know plus the thousands of other couples in the state who’ve committed to each other. Is it time for divisive politics as usual or for real change? This is our chance to lead the way.
October 25 2008 04:16 am | Categories: gardening • rambles | Tags: civil rights • Proposition 8 • seasons • summer
Karen on 26 Oct 2008 at 9:11 am #
You have my vote!